You Have Heart
by Chloes-Cheese
Summary: Takes place after the movie. Natasha and Clint are both affected by what Loki did and now Natasha takes it on herself to keep Clint from torturing himself with it as they return to work. Includes team bonding. Featuring all the other earthbound characters too. slight Tony/Pepper and Steve/Maria but mostly a relationship study in Clintasha.
1. Eyes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my great love for this movie and its characters and actors.**

**Author's Note: Greetings, pretty much as soon as I saw the movie I had to write this. While I walked into the movie, I was prepared for them to just be good friends, but their amazing chemistry soon had me shipping them like a UPS employee. They were just amazing and I had to play with their relationship.**

**Hope you like it!**

"_I won't touch Barton, not 'til I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately in everyway he knows you fear and then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams I'll split his skull."_

The acidic words of the bitter god echoed in Natasha's ears as she jolted awake. The knife she kept under her pillow was tensed in her grasp as she tried to steady her breathing. Upon ascertaining she was not, in fact, trapped in the labyrinthine passages of the Helicarrier, she slid the weapon back in its spot slowly as the nightmare faded. Natasha glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

The harsh red numbers read 3:43, eliciting an annoyed grunt from the spy.

The dreams were getting worse. As a glorified assassin for most of her adult life, Natasha was no stranger to loss of sleep over visions of her past; but this was different. This was personal.

She was used to being haunted by things she'd done, people she'd hurt, bad decisions she'd made and all of the pain she'd caused in her long bloody history. But that wasn't the case this time and that's what gnawed at her the most.

Loki had gotten under her skin with his threats. He had managed to perfectly encapsulate her worst nightmare: to have one of the few people in the world she cared about used against her and have there be nothing she could do about it.

That's why she'd built her armor so thick. In her experience, love and compassion can kill you quicker than any knife. But people always found a way in and it was almost more than she could stand to imagine her and Clint being used against each other in such a real way. That is what had shaken her normal detached demeanor so badly.

Cursing the god of mischief for robbing her of her sleep from galaxies away, Natasha rose quickly. Unable to stand lying in the dark alone with her black thoughts for another moment, she called to JARVIS to turn the lights on dim.

She glanced about her Spartan apartment in the newly converted Avengers Tower that, while still under repairs after the attack, was enough for the SHIELD Agent for now. She ascertained that the only distraction to be found in the barren suite was cleaning her weapons and she didn't particularly think that to be the best course of action given her troubled thoughts.

With a sigh, she left her room. It had been a little over a month since the battle of New York and she still hadn't managed to sleep through the night more than once and Natasha didn't count that on account of the pain meds she'd been ordered to take for her fractured ribs. She still had a few bumps and bruises but Natasha had never been the complaining type.

Padding silently through the only recently completed living quarters floor, Natasha couldn't help but admire the speed and efficiency of Tony's workers. She supposed that was one of the perks of being a billionaire.

Entering the open living area that included the kitchen that was her goal, she smiled fondly at Bruce who lay asleep on the couch, his laptop still open on his lap and papers spread all around him.

Bruce had said he wasn't interested in being an Avenger but that didn't stop Tony from enthusiastically throwing so many interesting and groundbreaking projects at the scientist until he didn't even realize he'd been basically living in Stark's Tower for a month instead of laying low in South America. No one could deny that, while pompous and egotistical to an overwhelming degree, Tony was, in fact, a genius.

Making as little sound as possible, Natasha got herself a tall glass of ice water to calm her nerves before retreating to the balcony connected to the open, multi-purpose interior.

Taking several long gulps, Natasha stared out at the still bustling city, hoping that the cool night air would clear out the mangled apparitions clouding her head.

"Can't sleep again?" a voice asked from the dark corner of the balcony that hugged the building.

Natasha instantly spun, blaming her brooding on her lack of observation as her body automatically poised for an attack and her eyes adjusted to find the owner of the voice.

Leaving his shadowy perch, Clint jumped from the low wall and into the soft blue light from the kitchen and the city around them.

Natasha's instincts screamed in alarm upon seeing his face for, in that moment, when his face was illuminated for the first time, his blue-grey orbs appeared for the most fleeting of instances an unnatural light blue. Natasha kept her cool, as always, her face not betraying the sheer terror she felt when her nightmare addled brain created such a horrid vision.

Her body must have betrayed her in some minute way, however, either that or her partner knew her well enough by now that he held up his hands in a reassuring manner, inching closer, "Nat, it's okay. It's me."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and shook her head, saying more confident and calmly than she felt, "I know."

He didn't believe her for a second and dropped his hands, narrowing his eyes in a pained expression, "You thought I was him, didn't you?"

She didn't say anything. Him being what they all insisted on calling Clint's brainwashed self. He knew her well enough to see past any reassurance she would try to give and they had long ago agreed not to lie to each other.

"No matter what, it always comes back to what I did." He said quietly, his conflicted gaze to the city.

"What _he_ did." Natasha corrected with the crucial distinction.

He shrugged, letting her know that despite what he said and what they told him, he still thought that it just boiled down to semantics.

She stepped closer, putting a hand on his forearm in a rare show of physical comfort.

"Clint, that wasn't you and I know it. No one blames you." She'd said these lines before, but now, in this decidedly intimate setting, it had never been more important that he understand them.

"Doesn't change anything," He asserted, "No one can forget either. They look at me and see the monster; see the things he made me do. And I can never make up for that."

"We're not asking you to. The only one responsible is paying for his crimes. He's light years away and not our problem anymore." She reminded him, intently, willing for him to believe her this time.

"If only it was that easy." Clint muttered almost to himself.

She continued to stare at him before saying with unusual delicacy, "You know, if I were the emotional type I'd say 'give it time'."

He met her eyes then and she took in the normal, reassuring hue of his before he cracked a slight grin, "But you're not. So are you going to tell me to get over it?"

She held his gaze, daring him to look away before continuing, "I'm not a soldier either, but war is a hard thing to come back from."

They stared at each other for a long minute as he let her words sink in before Clint finally broke the moment by looking away. He looked to his military-grade watch to see it was after four in the morning.

"It's late." He remarked for something to say after such a poignant moment, "we should get some sleep if we're going to make it through tomorrow."

"I don't sleep." She said simply before looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "I wait."

He chuckled at the break in the tension, thankful for their old, hardcore, Russian spy joke.

"Of course you do. My mistake." He said with a small grin as the serious of the previous conversation dissipated, "Well good luck with that."

She rewarded him with a smirk, picking her forgotten water glass off the ledge and putting a hand on his shoulder in passing, "You too."

Returning her glass to the kitchen, Natasha made her way back to her room and slipped back into bed, unsure if the conversation with Barton helped or not. Either way, she just hoped it hadn't called up anymore nightmares.

Feeling the lateness wash upon her, Natasha closed her eyes, wishing for a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note: and there's the end of the first chapter, I know it was a little brief but I promise the next one will be longer.**

**Also, thanks to joannemelanie-nemo-potter on tumblr for transcribing the line at the beginning, because I really wanted to get that right.**

**Okay, so I still have more I would like to do with this story, I just want to know if anyone actually wants to read it. so please, if you liked it, or had any questions, please review. That is what makes both me and my muse happy and keeps the inspiration flowing.**

**That and watching Avengers as many times as humanly possible (going for number 3 today!)**

**But anyway, review!**


	2. Shoulders

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.**

**Author's Note: oh my gosh. You guys are absolutely amazing. Like I have never gotten that much feedback on a chapter ever. I am attributing it to the absolute amazingness that is the Avengers as well as the delicious chemistry between Clint and Natasha on the big screen.**

**But I am truly blown away, you guys have no idea.**

**And now that I've taken my last final I hope to be able to continue with quick updates for you guys because I understand needing more of them, I do too.**

**I would thank you all by name if I could but I'd rather not keep you guys waiting any longer, but please know how important your feedback is to me. This chapter wouldn't be here this quick without you.**

Her wish appeared not to be granted though as Natasha awoke the next morning relieved at the escape from the tedious and repetitive visions that plagued her nights.

She dressed for the day and joined the others who were already up and making breakfast. Or rather, Bruce was making breakfast while Clint and Tony were arguing over who got to eat it.

"I'm sorry Katniss," Tony was saying in his typical flippant manner, "But unless you are paying for it, you don't get to eat all of the bacon."

"So says the man who never lets anyone else buy anything," Clint pointed out.

"That's because you have the unrefined taste of a military grunt. I am trying to expand your culinary vocabulary," Tony pompously maintained.

"By not letting me eat any of it?" Clint questioned skeptically.

"Exactly." Tony agreed, picking a piece of bacon off of the plate the scientist had put them on, and taking a bite, "It's a system that I personally think works."

"Isn't it a little early to be bickering like children?" Natasha asked coolly, joining Bruce on the other side of the counter. She then took the communal plate and distributed them amongst the four of them, leaving three for Clint and one for Tony.

"Not cool!" Tony said in response to the perceived foul, "How come Archer Boy gets more than me?"

"Because Pepper didn't explicitly tell him to lay off the bacon," Natasha informed him evenly, causing Tony to mutter something about 'traitorous redheads' into his coffee.

Clint grinned victoriously at the billionaire which led Natasha to take one of his pieces.

"Don't be smug," she chided in response to his look of betrayal.

Bruce cleared his throat then, having finished the eggs and turned off the stove, carrying the pan to the table. Natasha following with their plates and a stack of glasses.

Clint grabbed his plate and the pancakes while Tony made to just take his plate until Natasha glared him into getting the milk too.

They ate in silence for a few minutes disrupted only by Tony attempting to keep all of the pancakes in retaliation for the bacon slight but a foreboding twitch from Natasha's hand that was holding her knife had him sharing like a good little five-year-old.

Once they were all mostly done eating, Bruce spoke up in the manner of an actual civilized adult that conversations with Tony were often lacking.

"So you two are returning to work today, isn't that right?" he said, indicating Clint and Natasha with his fork.

"That's right, we've been cleared to return to active duty," Clint answered in a satisfied manner. "Fury says he can't continue putting off assignments without his top agents."

"Aw, you mean you won't be here all day, eating my food, screwing up my DVD collection and blaring your crappy music?" Tony asked Clint in a derogatory manner, "That's a shame. You kids have fun though."

Natasha rolled her eyes at the immaturity but was actually glad to be back on duty. She was getting restless and wasn't sure she could make it through another day of their childish squabbles without stabbing one of them.

Most likely Tony.

They made small talk for the rest of the meal before Clint and Natasha excused themselves to get ready to leave. Within a few moments, the two of them were riding the elevator down to the garage and their SHEILD issued black Acura to return to work.

Clint drove in silence, with his previous joviality in the tower gone she could tell from his tensed arms and clenched jaw. But just as she could tell he was anxious she also knew there was nothing to say.

It wasn't just their first day back though. It was their first day of normal operation without Coulson. And though he hadn't said it, Natasha knew that Clint held himself responsible for the man's death. While he might suffer in silence, he'd always been the type to pile on guilt.

She mourned the agent's loss in her own way as well. He had become not only their handler and superior but a friend as well. Natasha had long appreciated his dry humor and how he'd always had her back in administrative dealings. He was a good man and she grieved him as such as she knew Clint must also.

They arrived at the New York City SHIELD Headquarters quickly and Natasha was glad it wasn't too far from what was becoming the new Avengers Tower. Neither spoke as they cleared the security measures and checkpoints to make it to the upper level of HQ that they worked in.

Upon entering the conference room where Fury would brief them, Natasha was surprised to see Steve sitting at the table.

"Captain Rogers," she greeted formally, assuming the seat across from him while Clint got them coffee, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah, I thought you were on extended leave." Clint chimed in as he sat beside Natasha and handed her a cup of coffee.

"I didn't need it," Steve answered, readjusting his hands on the tabletop, revealing his discomfort, "I ended up feeling useless so I decided to come back to work."

"Well, we're glad to have you buddy." Clint assured him in a friendly manner.

She knew that Steve had more than earned Clint's respect during the battle just as he had earned hers. The man was competent and fought well on his feet and she felt safe following him into battle.

The Captain nodded his head in acknowledgement though obviously somber, probably feeling pessimistic about awaiting their new handler as well.

They didn't speak anymore as Clint and Natasha sipped their disgusting coffee for something to do while Steve stared off into space. Before the silence could get awkward, Director Fury strode in wearing his typical black leather get up, causing the three to rise to their feet at attention.

Fury impatiently motioned for them to sit back down with an annoyed wave of his hand, "As you were. I trust you are all well rested after your little vacation because you are about to be put to work."

"Sounds good, sir." Steve replied, leading Natasha to think that he was battling demons of his own, which she sympathized with.

Fury nodded before putting his hand on his hips in a clear sign that he was about to tell them something they didn't want to hear, "Now, I know that a new handler is the last thing you want right now and if I had my way, I'd allow you to run almost autonomously; but, unfortunately, that's not my call. The Council, who fund and keep this flying circus in the air have overruled my decision at this time. They think, in light of our little insubordination in the New York affair, that they need to keep a closer eye on our operations and more importantly, our assets. To that end, they have appointed a brown-nosing by-the-book asswipe to oversee your division. This is so you all know that, no, I don't approve of Coulson's replacement. However, if I'm to have any sort of leverage on something that really matters, I can't afford to argue with them on this. My advice is to make them happy however you can and hopefully, they'll be back out of our hair before too long."

"Geez, Director, way to be encouraging." Clint summed up in his typical snarky manner.

Fury gave him one of his patented 'no shit' faces and responded bluntly, "I'm telling it like it is, Barton. You're not gonna like it. I'm not going to like it. This won't be a picnic for any of us but this is what we have to deal with for now."

"Good to know," Natasha commented, her limited optimism for things returning to normal plummeting each minute.

Fury clasped his hand together in a closing gesture as he said, "Now, I told Agent Bridges that this meeting started ten minutes after it did so I suggest you take this time to prepare yourselves. I have other duties to perform but you know where to find me. And by that I mean you fools better not come crying to me just because the new boss is mean to you. Are we clear?"

They all gave their assent and Fury swept out of the conference room as intimidating as ever with a last warning glance to the trio as he went.

Natasha wasn't sure to make of Fury's warnings but she knew it wouldn't be good. But before she could brood over it, Clint nudged her elbow and pointed out the clear glass doors to someone who looked to be heading toward them.

With one look, Natasha could tell they weren't going to get along.

The woman looked positively unpleasant. Her hair was done so tightly in a bun at the back of her head, it looked painful. Her eyes were narrow and judgmental and her nose was raised in a gesture of superiority. At a glance, Natasha could tell their new handler thought very highly of herself. She probably thought that being given this coveted position meant she walked on water and had the right to do as she pleased. Everyone was beneath her and not good enough. Her clothes were meticulously tailored and cleaned, telling Natasha that she craved order and control over all things.

All of these things Natasha could tell in the 15 seconds it took the agent to reach their room because that was her job. The fact that this woman would not fit in or work well with them at all was practically child's play deduction at this point.

She entered the room and Natasha could feel Clint tense beside her and knew that he had interpreted everything she had, if not more.

The woman gave them all a harsh once over before charging straight into business, "Alright, I am Agent Joan Bridges and I have been assigned as your new supervisor. Now, in light of the abrupt departure of my predecessor, the paperwork on this transfer isn't quite up to SHIELD standards but I suppose it will have to do."

Natasha had to give her credit. She wasn't sure that anyone had ever infuriated her as much with a single sentence as this woman had. She couldn't believe the pure callousness that would refer to the death of a valued agent as an abrupt and messy inconvenience. In less than a minute of knowing the woman, Natasha was already contemplating shocking and throwing the woman of a cliff.

Or the Avengers Tower.

Whichever was closer.

Though Clint was probably already mentally assessing her most vulnerable spot, he put a hand on Natasha's hand under the table to try to calm her down. Natasha let out a breath as she met his gaze hating to admit he was right. It probably wasn't the best idea to kill their new handler on their first day as it wouldn't get them anywhere but in a cubicle with a year's worth of paperwork and Fury's glare for the rest of their lives.

Mentally lowering her weapons, she was able to concentrate on what the moron was saying after the blood stopped rushing through her ears and the red hue of her vision faded.

"…Furthermore, your reports are sloppy. I understand that the incident in New York was extensive, however, I expect a higher caliber of paperwork from my agents. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Steve responded grimly, clearly no less incensed by her words than the two assassins were but he was trying to follow Fury's orders in this case.

"Now, I realize that your previous handler was a bit lax on protocol but I am here to tell you that nonsense like that will not be accepted with me. If you are on a mission, you check in by every deadline and do not take any action without first checking with your superior. Your last supervisor was far too lenient with this team, and as you are supposed to be Earth's last defense, it is my job to make sure you run more efficiently."

"Coulson." Clint said quietly but intently, his fists clenched and his head turned down as he said it.

"I'm sorry?" The woman said in a baffled manner that indicated she couldn't imagine someone interrupting one of her lectures.

"Your _predecessor_," Clint says as if the word is bile as he lifted his head slowly to look into her eyes. "His name was Coulson. And he didn't just leave; he was killed in action trying to stop a dangerous war criminal from getting loose."

"But he failed," she pointed out as if that were the only detail that mattered of his entire statement.

"He slowed him down," Clint defended as, in his book, disgracing a man who laid down his life for other people was high up on his No-No list.

"And how would you know?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and zeroing in on him. "It is my understanding that you were carrying out the very same war criminal's every whim at that time, so I don't believe you are the proper person to speak of those trying to do the right thing."

Clint stood up then, slamming his hands on the table and just when Natasha thought he might throw a pen at her jugular, he left the room very quickly.

Natasha and Steve stood up too, very obviously on his side.

"Loki was using alien technology to take over his mind. He couldn't help himself," Steve argued, his brow furrowed.

"So might the social worker say of the alcoholic," Agent Bridges simply replied. "I'm afraid that excuses won't account for the obvious lack of vigilance Agent Barton portrayed."

They didn't respond. Natasha was livid and Steve was obviously no better off as his nostrils were flaring and his eyes were sending daggers at their new boss.

Misinterpreting their silence as endorsement, she continued, "I suppose we are done for now but one of you needs to remind him that further outbursts and unauthorized exits will not be permitted in my briefings."

With that, she very haughtily left. Natasha and Steve met each other's eyes in a shared expression of disbelief.

"Who would put someone like that in charge of a team like this?" the captain asked in horror.

"Bureaucrats," Natasha answered plainly, guessing that in World War II there weren't as many infiltrated into military projects like the SSR he was a part of.

He let that sink in a moment as he stared off the way she left before turning very seriously to Natasha. "You need to find Agent Barton. Bridges was way off base but he doesn't know me well enough yet to believe me. But I know he'll listen to you. You understand him better."

Natasha looked to the back door he exited through, thinking of the look of pure self-loathing on his face as he left, "I don't know if he'll even listen to me right now."

Steve stepped closer, that kind, earnest look in his eyes that epitomized him as America's Golden Boy, "But you could try. He needs to know that we don't blame him."

Natasha would argue that she's tried to tell him that before but she learned that even she was no match for Captain America's puppy eyes.

"I'll try, but I don't know if it'll help any right now," Natasha confessed, hating the new Agent with the fire of a thousand suns for doing this to her partner.

"That's all I ask," Steve relented. "Do you know where he might have gone?"

"I have a pretty good idea," she told the Captain before leaving the room the way Clint had left.

The truth was that she had many ideas as to his various hiding spots throughout the HQ but she just knew without a doubt the exact one he would have chosen in the wake of such an accusation.

It was a windy day on the roof of the SHIELD building and from it, there was a perfect view of the unrepaired destruction of central New York City in the distance. She found him on the prow of the protrusion the triangular northern corner of the building made, legs dangling over the side of the building. Natasha approached slowly, knowing he knew she was there and that if he wanted to be alone, she wouldn't have found him. Crouching down to sit beside him less than half a foot away, she didn't speak for several minutes, seeing if he would speak first.

"The woman is an idiot," she finally said, breaking the silence, not looking at him.

"Nat," he said simply, not in the mood to be placated.

"No, I don't think I've ever heard a speech that moronic and coldhearted in my entire life," Natasha maintained.

"She was right," he said cynically, "Who am I to lecture anyone on what's right after everything I've done?"

"Clint," she said passionately, "it was not your fault, you have to remember that."

"I'm not just talking about what happened with Loki," he clarified. "I've got blood on my hands that I can't wash off. I mean who do I think I am running around and pretending I'm a hero? I'm not and I never will be. I'm just a soldier who follows orders, anyone's orders, without account for who gets hurt in the process."

"You're not like that anymore and neither am I," she reminded him critically, "We know the line now and we don't cross it."

"How do we know that, Tasha?" he asked, looking into her eyes desperately as if he was trying to find the answers to the universe. "What's to stop Fury from manipulating us into doing what he wants? Just look at Phase 2, we both know that no good could possibly come from that."

"Stop," Natasha ordered, looking him full in the eyes, "If Fury goes too far, we'll stop it. We have the other Avengers now and they won't let him use us like that. You're looking at it like you have the world on your shoulders, like every bad decision falls on you. But it doesn't Clint. I won't let it. So you focus on what you can control and what is your responsibility and nothing more. We're both in this. It's not all on you, do you hear me?"

He looked down somberly, nodding once. He knew she was right but sometimes, it was all he could to keep from sinking in a sea of accountability and guilt. It was times like this, and it had happened before, that Natasha was his only lifeline.

"Thank you," the archer whispered into the silence that followed.

Natasha knew it wasn't over but she had abated his overwhelming sense of guilt for now so the two slipped into a companionable silence.

They didn't have long to appreciate the moment, however, as Steve's voice was suddenly heard from the communicator in Natasha's ear.

"Agent Romanoff?" Captain Rogers asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Romanoff here," she replied with a click to the communicator.

"Did you find him?" he questioned.

Natasha looked to Clint who was watching her as she answered, "I've got Barton."

"Good." Steve replied, obviously relieved before getting into what he was clearly supposed to be letting Natasha know about, "I'm sorry it's interrupting, but there has been an incident in Boston. Agent Hill and Director Fury are holding a briefing in the main terminal."

"Will Agent Bridges be there?" Natasha questioned with a raised eyebrow that elicited a scowl from Clint.

"Most likely, Steve replied, resigned and obviously not happy about it.

"We'll be there in 5," Natasha informed him coolly, disconnecting the conversation.

"Back to work," Clint sighed, not needing to know the specifics to know they had a new mission as he slid to his feet quickly.

While he knew Natasha was more than capable of handling herself and about twenty other people at the same time, Clint still extended a hand as a reflex to help her rise.

Resigned to the new task, the two made their way downstairs in tandem.

**Author's Note: see I told you, they'd get longer.**

**This chapter was a little different from the first as it includes more Avenger interaction but as I am in love with every single one of them, I thought it was important and I enjoyed playing with the interrelationships between them.**

**Writing Fury was fun. And though questionable at times, He's a kick in the pants.**

**Natasha herself has proved a very interesting challenge. The girls I normally write are very emotional, open and loquacious; things Natasha decidedly isn't. so in this story it has been quite the journey to explore the dynamics of Black Widow's and Hawkeye's relationship as theirs is one not based on words but by action and a deep understanding of each other and I only hope I'm doing a decent job at depicting that bond.**

**And having seen avengers three times now I am more hooked than ever on the ship that is Black Widow and Hawkeye but your continued support is crucial to continuation of this story.**

**So if you are still with me, please drop me a review with any comments, questions or constructive criticism you might have.**


	3. Hands

**Disclaimer: I pretty much only own the plot and Agent Bitchface.**

**Author's Note: Yay I'm back again and I will have you know that I spent my first official day of summer writing this chapter. I regret nothing.**

**You guys are all just so enthusiastic and kind that I am gobbsmacked. Your reviews are so amazing and are why this story is going like it is. You all have made my week with your responses. I am really touched you guys.**

**Haha, yes it is a jolly good time aboard the good ship Blackhawk (as certain parties are trying to campaign to get these two called). I am so happy to have all of you reading and enjoying my story.**

**So without further ado I give you the 3rd (and longest so far) chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

By the time they arrived, Steve was pacing anxiously while Agent Hill was conferring with Director Fury in hushed tones. Upon seeing them arrive, Steve stopped and shot a concerned questioning glance to Clint who gave a reassuring bob of the head in return.

Seeing the new arrivals, Fury finished with Maria and assumed a ready position, "Alright now that everybody's here-"

Just then Agent Bridges entered the room with a critical expression at Fury's attempt to start without her before going to stand by the projector screen and motioning for him to continue as if he could now that he had her permission.

"We can get started," the Director continued grudgingly, obviously not joking about none of them liking the unpleasant woman's presence there. "Here's the situation: we have possible extra-terrestrial forces attacking downtown Boston. We aren't sure who they are, what they want or even where they come from, but that isn't our main concern right now. Find out what you can as you go, but your priority is stopping them before they raise the body count even higher. Use any means necessary."

He then sighed, giving a 'not happy' expression to the Council-issued handler and added, "I now turn this briefing over to Agent Bridges for your orders."

"Thank you, Director," she acknowledged smugly as she stepped forward with her computer pad that sent commands to master screen. "It is completely pointless for me to remind you how crucial it is to stop the destruction, however, I think that there is another goal here that is being overlooked. We need to find out everything that we possibly can about this adversary. So I am making it a priority one to open communication between yourselves and the threat. Only after negotiation and diplomacy has failed should you attempt to capture one of them alive."

Her words had an immediate effect of disapproval as everyone but her had a problem with the plan.

"Agent Bridges, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," Fury spoke, his brow furrowing.

"I understand it just fine, Director. Yet another threat is making itself known and you suggest we fly in and attack blind without any attempts at finding out their demands or even why they are attacking. This is exactly why I was appointed to this position," she insisted very plainly.

Natasha could see that right here in this room was a far worse enemy than the one terrorizing Boston. There were few things as dangerous and disastrous as a person in power who had no idea how to wield that power but believed it was their god-given right and destiny to lead.

"And what if they don't want to talk?" Steve asked in his stead-fast_, _pillar-of-all-that-is-good manner,_ "_What if they blow us out of the sky as soon as we give away our position? What help would we be to the city then?"

"Captain Rogers is right, ma'am." Agent Hill chimed in, trying to serve as a voice of reason as the only person in the room who had not been personally offended by Agent Bridges yet, "Precedent states that giving away your position to unknown hostiles is tactically unwise. They'd be putting themselves at risk in an attempt at communication that might not even work."

"But there is a chance, Agent Hill." Bridges pointed out critically**.** "Precedent also states that engaging in battle with an unknown enemy can lead to further engagements in the future."

"But if we don't take the chance to stop them when they still don't know we're there, we might lose any window we have at resolving things quickly and preventing further bloodshed," Steve maintained, knowing just as well as the others that hailing the enemy could be tantamount to signing their death certificates.

"That is a risk we will have to take, Captain in the hopes of peaceful negotiations and conflict resolution," she said very plainly, looking at everyone to see if her point was clear. "You have your orders. There will be a helicopter on the roof to take you to the airfield where your Quinjet is waiting. Once in the vicinity of Boston, you are contact me and we will begin to see if you can reason with these assailants. I suggest you change quickly, wheels up in 10 minutes. You are dismissed."

She said this last bit very pointedly so as to not give her team the chance to go over her head to Fury who stood fuming by the screen that showed the situation in Boston.

Clearly not happy, the three left the large room. Clint and Natasha had not said anything because their particular specialty for conflict resolution rarely involved words. But even Fury wouldn't be able to look past two of his agents assaulting their superior officer smack dab in the middle of SHIELD HQ with half of the agency watching from their cubicles and work stations nearby.

The mood was grim as the three Avengers wound their way through the building to suit up. Though Clint had obviously been trying to avoid another outburst in the presence of Fury, he felt comfortable enough around Steve and Natasha to let off a little steam.

"That idiot is going to get us all killed," he remarked angrily as they entered their private team locker room.

"But what are we supposed to do about it?" Steve questioned, his drive to do what's right battling his tendency to follow orders. "You heard her in there, she won't listen to reason. How are we supposed to do that and protect the city at the same time?"

"We compromise," Natasha said very matter-of-factly, speaking up for the first time since the roof. "We can't afford to put all of our cards on the table with this one. Based on the footage, these guys aren't playing by any rules and I doubt they'll listen to reason."

Clint looked at her gravely. "What do you propose we do?"

"We fight," Steve answered for her, picking up on her wavelength and taking charge like she'd hoped he would, "When we get to the outskirts of the city, you two should let me and the team of back up out to try to negotiate like Bridges said. We'll say that you are simply providing cover fire in case things go the wrong way."

"And what will we really be doing?" Clint questioned, liking this idea much better.

"You two will be taking out as many of them as you can. Clint, I want you shooting arrows out the back with Natasha as covertly as possible. We don't want to blow our cover if we don't have to. But you have to stop them from destroying even more of the city," he said, launching into soldier mode.

"And what about you?" Natasha asked with worried eyes, knowing that his job was by far the most dangerous.

"I'll do my best to placate Bridges and keep them busy but if that doesn't work, I'll fight like hell," he said, clearly anxious but knowing that this was what he had to do.

"We'll have your back," Clint informed the Captain intently.

"I know you will." Cap said with the smallest of smiles, he straightened up, their plan laid out, "Let's suit up."

Three minutes later, the trio were ascending to the roof where they were surprised to see Maria waiting for them by the helicopter.

Maria answered their inquisitive gazes before they had a chance to voice them, speaking loudly of the roar of the helicopter. "Fury sent me as his condition to agreeing to this idiotic mission."

"Are you here to stop us from doing anything stupid?" Clint asked as the four got into the helicopter.

"Quite the contrary," she said with a rare conspiratorial smirk. "I'm here to help you with whatever counter mission you devised. Fury's orders."

Though Steve looked surprised, Natasha knew Fury well enough to know that he wouldn't let him fly out on such a reckless mission without a trick or two up his sleeve.

The flight to the airfield was silent mostly due to the noise from the propellers but also as an anxious sort of quiet as they prepared for their risky endeavor. The journey in the Quinjet was much the same though it also had the addition of a squad of six highly trained men that were to serve as backup in case of an incident.

As they got close Steve went up to the cockpit, "Put the jet down. I'm getting out."

"My orders were to take you to the center of the city," The pilot insisted.

"Your orders have changed," Steve countered.

The pilot continued to say, "I'm sorry but without proper command orders, I'm not authorized-"

That's when Maria stepped forward, "I have tactical security clearance Alpha Black Seven and I ordering you to do as the Captain says."

There was no more arguing as the man began a descent on the outskirts of the city. Once landed, Steve relayed the new orders to the back up squad insisting that while diplomacy was their goal, if they were fired upon, they had full permission to fire back. These men didn't argue and left the Quinjet without issue. Natasha, Clint and Maria wished Steve luck as they watched him depart.

Returning to the sky, flying high to avoid detection, they were able to get the first proper look at the destruction. While nowhere near the scale of the devastation of New York, it was still an awful sight.

Buildings were on fire and there was chaos in the streets. The police were overwhelmed as they had never been trained for anything of this scale. They couldn't have come a moment too soon. There was a giant spaceship parked right in the middle of the Boston Common and dozens of unknown, masked figures were spilling out of it and spiraling through the city, causing unchecked devastation.

Just as Natasha had known long before they arrived, the sight eradicated any doubt that these enemies would simply stop to talk. They were looking for a massacre. If they had any other motives, they were hiding it very well with their animalistic behavior.

Keeping up the pretense of obeying commands, Steve's voice came through their communicators as he contacted HQ, "Agent Bridges, we're here."

"Good," She said primly, "What can you make of the situation?"

"They're destroying the city, ma'am." Steve answered as if to prove a point.

"I can see that from the security footage, Captain," she said rather impatiently. "Can you tell if they are terrestrial or not?"

Natasha studied the hull of the vessel, and as she was no expert on space drive technology, she couldn't have told.

"Not sure." Agent Hill replied, adding to the illusion that Steve was still in the vessel with them.

Bridges sighed as if the whole thing was their fault and continued on, "Very well. Can you open communications?"

"They seem to be on an encrypted low frequency but we can try," Natasha reported as she fiddled with the controls.

"Well do so," Bridges said as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.

Natasha rolled her eyes but continued on until she'd got a lock. "We've got them. How do you want us to proceed?"

"Connect me to them, I want this first contact to go as smoothly as possible," She said in a very full of herself manner.

Natasha and Clint met eyes very briefly at the wrench thrown in their plans. They weren't supposed to be the ones having contact, Steve was supposed to be the distraction while they infiltrated quietly. They knew that the second they opened communications they would be painting a target on their hull. Seeing no way out, Clint went to the back and opened the door, bow at the ready, before nodding minutely at Natasha to tell her to go ahead.

Natasha clicked a few buttons and said to Bridges, "You're on."

"This is Agent Joan Bridges of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. You are attacking a civilian target. Please identify yourselves," the woman said as though she was talking to a class of elementary kids.

Clint resisted the urge to hide his face in his palm. The agent proved to be more moronic with each sentence she spoke. There was a pause fraught with tension as they waited for a reply. Finally after what seemed to be an eternity, a deep masculine voice filled the speakers of the Quinjet.

"You too shall fall before me." was all it said however.

"Fall before whom?" Bridges asked as though she honestly thought she had an open dialogue with the voice.

Before she could ask anymore idiotic questions, Maria was shouting from by the cockpit, "They're locking on!"

"Looks like communications are over," Natasha uttered fervently as she saw that the cannon at the front of the metallic monstrosity was pointed right at them. Disconnecting the contact with Steve, Bridges and the unknown enemy abruptly, she turned to Clint, "Now!"

With no further incentive necessary, he began loosing arrows at all hostiles in range while the pilots made evasive maneuvers.

The blast of unknown energy just narrowly missed them but they were still off balance as Maria fought to hang on while Clint had secured himself with a rope to the netting by the door.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Natasha could see Steve and his team tearing their way through the city, tearing through the enemy with the effect of a battering ram.

The cannon as well as smaller forward guns continued to shoot, some of them having a catastrophic effect on the buildings they ricocheted off of.

"What kind of tech is that?" Maria yelled over the wind.

"I've never seen anything like it," the pilot replied anxiously as he continued to avoid the deadly shots fired at them.

"We're out of our depth here. We need to get some advice," Natasha commented, almost to herself as she tapped away at the control console.

"Well if you're thinking of calling Bridges again, leave me out of it," Maria called back, still holding onto the railings on the ceiling.

"No," Natasha replied in a repulsed manner as she finally found the number she was looking for and engaging the call, "Stark. If anyone would know, he would."

The call rang out as Hawkeye continued to defend their six from the smaller projectiles that were fired at their craft.

"Aw, Natasha, how sweet of you to call while you were at work," Stark asked from the screen when he finally answered, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Unregistered weapons technology," she answered simply, knowing that was enough to peak his interest.

"And you called me first? Why Miss Romanoff, you know just how to flatter a man," he flirted harmlessly, obviously interested though as he looked to settle into assistance mode. "What have you got?"

"An unknown and unidentified craft right in the middle of Boston demolishing the city," she informed him.

"Isn't it always the way with hostiles?" he said lightly though he managed to sound both a bit more serious and a kid at Christmas when he added, "Show me."

She sent the images and recordings taken both by their Quinjet as well as the surveillance helicopters before they arrived, being sure to send in the high resolution analysis of the enemy vessel.

"Well doesn't someone think highly of themselves?" Tony commented to himself as he focused in on the footage he received.

"Is it alien?" Natasha asked, needing to figure out if these were regular human thugs or if opening fire would start an interplanetary skirmish.

"Most definitely not," Tony assured them with his critical eye for technology, "though someone has obviously been watching their sci-fi and wanted you to think it was. No this is a definitely human design. Tell me more about the cannon."

"It's big, bad and ugly," Clint shouted his assessment.

"Wonderful deduction, Robin Hood. I was just hoping for something a little more in depth than that," Tony quipped, "What is its ammunition?"

"Some sort of blast of green energy. It explodes and electrifies everything it touches," Natasha reported, ignoring the boyish banter.

Tony tsked, "Very sloppy boys. This is definitely human tech. They are using an unbalanced electron particle displacement to activate the ion charge in the-"

"Dumb it down for us Tony," Maria interjected.

Tony sighed as though no one appreciated his input. "Fine. They screwed up. The chemical balance being used to create such discharge is incredibly unstable. One shot to the base of the cannon should be able to knock it out and is likely blow up the entire vessel."

"And if we're trying to extract information from it?" Maria questioned, knowing that they'd probably have hell to pay if they didn't come back with some sort of intel to pacify the handler.

"Honestly, the thing is a piece of junk and while very impressive looking, it's incredibly inefficiently put together. It's a Frankenship to put it delicately," Tony told them plainly but sighed and continued on at Natasha's insistent stare. "But if you are adamant, then the best solution would be to access the internal computer system but I get the feeling there's a bit of a time issue so I suggest you access the external drive system and take memory chip. Mind you, the external system won't have the good stuff like Captain's logs but it should at the very least have a manifest with the captain, manufacturer and things like that."

"And where do we find that?" Natasha questioned.

"There should be a control panel near the central dome that you can access. But the ship's not big enough to support the Quinjet landing on it, plus the surface is too hot for you to stand on. Their engine is in critical and you'd burn up on contact," Tony pointed out problematically.

"Then what do you suggest, Einstein?" Clint asked, never having much patience for Tony's waffling.

"Well you should be able to hit the pad to open the access panel with an arrow, but to get the card itself, you'll have to suspend someone over the panel." Tony strategized. "But there's a slight snag. They seem to have a defense mechanism that keeps breaching pods from attaching to the hull. If any sort of ship comes within 75 feet of the hull, the lasers will engage."

The whole mission was sounding less and less optimistic as he continued.

"And what's gonna stop it from firing on someone if we suspend them over the panel?" Clint inquired intently, seeing where this was going.

"Because it's an advanced technology deterrent, not a life signs detector. As long as the person was not a cyborg, it wouldn't be able to sense them."

Clint started to debate further, not at all liking the sound of the plan, "That's not-"

"I'll do it." Natasha volunteered as Clint knew she would.

"I don't like it Nat." Clint told her point-blank.

"We don't have another option and you know I can do this," Natasha reminded him, adding to Tony, "Thank you Stark."

"Anytime. Kick their butts for me and don't be out too late," he teased before disconnecting.

Clint hung his head because she was right and turned away to resume fire to vent his frustration. Maria ordered the pilot to fly over the ship, warning them of the importance of distance. Natasha had unbuckled herself from the communication console and proceeded to look through their supplies for a grappling rope. Maria stood up from where she had sat down and, grabbed a large machine gun from the rack. She then joined Clint at the back, before motioning for him to go talk to Natasha as she could feel the tension between them thick in the air.

He nodded in thanks to her before shouldering his bow and going to Natasha. "There's nothing I can say to talk you out of it is there?"

"No," she answered simply, measuring out the only rope she found to see how long it is, frowning when she was done. "It's not long enough. Not to maintain a safe distance and reach the panel. You're going to have to hold the rope over the edge."

His eyes widening a fraction of an inch before saying, resolutely, "No. We have to find another way."

"This is it, Clint. This is our only shot at finding out who these maniacs are and stopping them from attacking again," she told him seeing a trace of worry and hesitation in his face that was normally absent on missions "Why are you so against this? This isn't any worse than anything we've ever done before."

"Because it's too much too soon. I can't afford to have your life in my hands. Not now," he painfully admitted.

"Well tough," she replied, needing him not to fall apart in self-doubt just then. "Because it is in your hands and you can handle it. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't know you would have my back."

She wasn't expressing sentiment. Sentiment was for young lovers who thought that the world was theirs and that they would never die. This was a woman telling the only man in the entire world that she knew would defend her 'til the day they died and would risk his life for her that she knew he would look out for her. This wasn't blind faith in a man she barely knew. This was absolute trust in the resolute fact that he would never let anything happen to her. She just had to make him see that.

He met her eyes and saw the resolve in her eyes. Nothing he could say would convince her that he would ever actually let her fall. He closed his eyes, trying to absorb some of that complete faith. He just wasn't good in situations like this. If he could just be doing cover-fire or piloting he'd be much more confident but at the same time he couldn't stand the idea of anyone else holding her rope. In that moment he knew that she was right, he was the only one who would never let go.

They met each other's eyes once more and she knew that he got it, that he understood why she had asked him.

"Let's do this," he said quietly, in a manner of calm assurance.

She gave him the smallest of smiles before walking to the ramp where Maria continued to shoot at everything close enough, with Clint close behind. In less than a moment they found themselves 200 feet above the main ship in a position where the canon couldn't turn to blow them out of the sky. As the Quinjet descended to the correct height, Natasha scanned the hull around the circular dome in the center for the hatch Tony had mentioned.

"There," Clint said, pointing about 20 feet to the left of the command structure. Natasha smiled. Of course the sniper had spotted it first.

As Hill gave the pilots orders to reposition, Natasha wound out the rope as Clint reattached himself to the netting on the side.

Then, once directly above the external drive control panel, Clint readied his bow and arrow. Taking in a deep breath as he focused, Hawkeye loosed an arrow that hit his target perfectly.

The panel opened at the button being pressed revealing glittering circuitry.

"That's my cue," Natasha announced softly, rechecking her connection to the rope.

"Be careful," Clint told her seriously, boring into her with his intense blue eyes as he wrapped the rope around his hand and doubled up his connection to the netting.

"Where's the fun in that?" she asked with a delicately arched eyebrow before leaping out the back like a graceful ballerina.

Clint braced himself against the ramp as her weight made itself felt in the rope in his hands. He grunted as steadied her decent by withholding and releasing the length of it slowly, bringing her closer and closer to the superheated surface. Laying down along the ramp and hanging his torso off of it to give her the last few feet she needed, he lowered Natasha carefully the rest of the way, all too aware of Hill continuing to shoot down anyone who took notice of what they were doing. And Clint was thankful for the agent's presence. He'd been indifferent to her presence on the mission at the beginning but now he realized that they couldn't have gotten this far without her. She was fiery and determined, a lot like Natasha but without the darkness that the two assassins had in common and that had bonded them. But then again he supposed that normal girls don't join mysterious crime-fighting organizations so there you have it.

"I'm there," Natasha informed him via communicator.

"Do you see the chip?" Clint questioned though it was strained as he held her weight.

"I think so," she replied though she sounded unsure. "Stark was right, it's a mess in here. Give me a minute."

Clint could see Natasha doing something with the wiring of the drive before he saw a spray of sparks and heard a sharp gasp from the communicator.

"Tasha?" he exclaimed worriedly.

"I'm alright, the electricity went critical when I disconnected the power," she said breathlessly though he could detect the barest sense of satisfaction from his partner.

"That's my girl," he whispered with a grin. "Now get what we came here for so we can get out of here."

"Yes sir," she said in jest. There was half a minute of radio silence before she spoke up again. "okay, I've got the chip. Bring me up."

Never happier to comply, Clint rose to his knees quickly and began tugging the rope to bring her back up and out of harm's way. He was pretty sure Hill wanted to help but she continued her duty to keep anyone from taking Natasha out while she was so exposed, which he was thankful for.

It seemed to take an eternity to bring her back but then with most of the rope piled on deck and Natasha was finally clambering aboard. And Clint couldn't help it, he was normally so good about keeping his emotions in check but he couldn't help it, he needed reassurance that she was safe,_ so_ he stood to join her on his feet and enclosed her in a tight embrace.

"Good to have you back." Was all he said.

"I knew you had me." she whispered back before pulling away. She saw the fierce relief in his eyes and it was almost as blinding as the sun. She looked away quickly. "Alright, let's wrap this operation up."

Maria nodded and returned to the main part of the Quinjet, shutting the door behind her.

Natasha returned to the comm-station, shaking herself to clear her head before hailing Steve, "Captain, can you hear me? What's your situation?"

"We're holding ground 2 blocks from the ship. We've got one man injured but he's going to make it and we've taken out far more," he informed her, clearly proud of his crew.

"Good," she assessed, "We're getting ready to wrap this up. We're about to blow the ship. Get your men a safe distance from the ship and let us know when you're clear."

The Quinjet meanwhile was flying to a more accessible position, taking out the hostiles that had positioned themselves on the roof as it did.

After a couple minutes, Steve spoke up, "Okay we're good. Light them up."

Nothing holding them back Maria gave the order sending a shot straight for the main cannon. As Tony predicted, there was a strange green tinge to the explosion before it suddenly expanded to encompass the entire vessel in the space of a second. When the blinding light and dust had cleared there was nothing but burnt trees left where it had been.

"Score 1 for science," Maria remarked appreciatively.

In the immediate aftermath of the ship being destroyed, the hostiles still alive in the city fled to the outskirts where they were stopped either by Steve's guys or the police force.

"We're done down here," the captain reported. "The rest local law enforcement can handle until the government arrives. Come pick us up a two miles north of where you dropped us, we have souvenirs."

Natasha smiled at that as the pilot headed off to Steve's location. Sure enough, in addition to his team of six men who had proved to be able to hold their own, two bound prisoners lay unconscious at their feet.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who scored," Natasha remarked as she waved the memory chip at the Captain.

He acknowledged it with a smile as he got the two hostiles onboard and secured. Once everyone was good to go, the Quinjet took off again.

"Time to report in," Maria grumbled, clearly not looking forward to another conversation with Agent I Know All the Answers.

No one was happy about the prospect but they knew Fury would give them flak for it later if they didn't follow protocol.

Natasha cued it up and said, "This is Black Widow, the mission was a success. I repeat the mission was a success."

Bridges responded immediately, "You disobeyed direct orders and blew up a valuable piece of technology, possibly starting a war between us and some unknown party. How do you call that a success?"

"The threat was neutralized, we recovered a computer chip from the ship before detonation and we have two prisoners for questioning. We did everything that was asked of us," Natasha continued completely calmly.

"You know perfectly well that that was not what you were ordered to do Agent, I-" she started to grate before she was unexpectedly cut off.

"That will be all for now, Agent Bridges," Fury interrupted, clearly disconnecting Bridges' communication for they couldn't hear any further argument.

"Good job agents. You did well overcoming a nearly catastrophic situation. I will be having words of my own with the Council later on about the inappropriate way Bridges handled things today," Fury reassured them in a pleased manner.

Natasha, Clint, Steve and Maria couldn't help but smile at his words, glad to not have to hear from the handler anymore just then.

"Thank you sir," Natasha said, speaking for the group.

"Come on home," He said before disconnecting.

The team took a deep breath as they realized that they probably weren't going to be suspended for disregarding such idiotic orders and flew back to base in relieved silence.

**Author's Note: And another chapter done. This one was a bit of a doozy to write.**

**I realize that there was a fair bit of action in this one and not as much intimacy between them but I thought that it was important to show their relationship in a battle situation. I used this chapter to showcase their deep trust and connection as well as highlight the interrelationships between them and Steve, Maria and Tony. So yes, it was a bit different but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Bit of a challenge writing-wise I just hope it paid off.**

**It'll slow back down in the next chapter though so take comfort in that.**

**And yes Agent Bridges is a complete bitch. I hate her and I wrote her. Haha. Though I really enjoyed incorporating Maria because I think she is awesome oh and Tony. Tony is the most fun to write out of all of them.**

**Oh well, please review and let me know what you thought! Feedback is love!**


	4. Heart

**Disclaimer:**

**Author's Note: Oh gosh, that took far longer than it should have but not my fault. Between photoshoots, graduations, birthdays, birthday preparations, sleepovers, family nights, church and marathons I ended up stressing myself into a summer cold with my body at war with me which left me exhausted and drained of inspiration, I am so sorry.**

**I think the fog might be lifting as I am slowly getting my voice back and the ability to breathe out of both nostrils so I took advantage of that and finally finished out this chapter that I have been attempting to get out for weeks. So sorry it took me this long.**

**You guys are my inspiration and are amazing. I cannot believe the response you guys have given me. I am touched and you are without a doubt the reason why this chapter is here. You guys helped me to never give up on it despite my frustrations and lack of time. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart.**

**It also helped that a friend volunteered to go with me so I could see Avengers for the 6th time. I just need more. It is so amazing.**

**This chapter also tries a different tack and I hope you like it.**

**Enjoy.**

When they got back to base Fury was waiting for them. He oversaw their prisoners being transferred to a secure holding facility and Steve getting his injured men to the infirmary ward. When it was finally just Natasha, Clint, Steve and Agent Hill, they waited with baited breath to see what he might add to what he had said in transit, but he just sighed and said, "Get yourselves cleaned up and go home. There will be a full debriefing later. Good job, agents."

They nodded wearily before complying. Maria walked with them all the way back to their locker room on the way to her own.

"Thank you," Steve said as Maria made to continue down the hall after arriving at theirs, "We couldn't have done it without you."

Maria turned back and took in his honest face before cracking the first genuine smile Natasha had ever seen the woman give as she replied, "I was happy to help, Captain."

With that, she continued on her course, holding herself perhaps a little differently. Natasha cocked her head slightly, amused as it seemed that the agent had a little bit of a crush. Natasha turned to Clint with a raised brow, which he responded to by smirking knowingly. Natasha wasn't the only one to pick up on the possibility of an "office" romance.

Cap had already turned and gone into the room and thus missed the silent communication between the two operatives. They shared a small grin and followed him in.

Twenty minutes later with the trio showered and back in their civilian clothes. Neither Clint nor Natasha were surprised when Steve joined them with his duffle bag as they were prepped to leave.

He seemed a little hesitant at first, like he didn't want to impose by going home with them but when he paused to ask if it was okay, Clint simply took his bag and walked out the door. Tasha smiled at his surprised face before nodding at him and saying, "Come on."

Steve followed them to the car with no complaints as Clint put the bag in the backseat and only insisted that Natasha should take the front seat instead of him.

She was honestly surprised it had taken him this long. Steve did not seem the type to enjoy the lone soldier routine. The drive back to the tower was the type of quiet that typically followed a strenuous mission, but it managed to be companionable at the same time.

They had hopes of a quiet evening as they ascended the tower in the elevator, but those hopes were quickly dashed as the doors opened to 80's rock being blared from Tony's wall-to-wall screen. It appeared that Tony had wrangled Bruce into playing Rock Band with him.

Clint grimaced at the loudness "Could you turn it down, Stark?"

Tony barely turned his head at the newcomers and continued on with his guitar solo "I'm sorry Agent Kill Joy but we're in the middle of a tournament and the volume is non-negotiable."

"Is it always this loud?" Steve asked Natasha as quietly as he could and still be heard over the Bon Jovi track.

Tony then turned while still hitting buttons blindly on his guitar and noticed Steve and his duffle for the first time "Ah, it looks like somebody invited Captain Freedom Pants to a sleepover and forgot to tell me."

"He's staying, Tony," Natasha replied in her no-nonsense way.

"Who's staying?" a voice asked from the hallway. Pepper frowned at the noise and promptly said, "Jarvis, could you please turn down the volume and pause the game?"

"Will do, Miss Potts," the smooth British accent of Tony's AI said as the volume was cut in half before it stopped.

Tony made to complain but Pepper cooled him down with a kiss on the cheek before breezing past him to the entry way with a gracious smile on her face.

"Captain Rogers," she exclaimed in a pleased manner "I didn't know you'd be coming."

"I only made the decision today, ma'am," he informed her, still feeling awkward as he adjusted his grip on his bag.

"Well, I am glad you did," she said in a warm manner that Tony could never manage "and please call me Pepper. I'm sorry we don't have the individual floors for you finished yet but you are free to take one of the guest rooms on this floor. We're all kind of rooming here for now."

Tony made a face "I'm not sure there's really enough room."

"You don't need 5 rooms for your personal projects Tony. You can move some to one of the other 100 floors. Now share and play nice," Pepper scolded him gently.

Someone who didn't know them better might mistake their exchanges as actual disagreements and signs of dislike. But after spending any amount of time with Tony Stark it was hard not to respect Pepper's use of tough love as well as not notice the genuine affection and love Tony had for her, despite what he said.

Taking in Tony's slumped shoulders as grudging acceptance, Pepper turned back to new arrivals "I was just about to make some dinner. Who's hungry?"

"I am," Bruce called from his spot on the couch with his Rock Band drums.

"Great," Pepper said with a beaming smile that showed she felt completely at home amongst the superheroes. "Steve, would you mind helping me?"

"It'd be my pleasure," Steve said cordially as he dropped his duffle on a table by the door and went to wash his hands.

Natasha shot Clint an amused grin that seemed to ask 'well what do you want to do now?'. Before he could reply though Tony yelled from the living area, "Hey Ninja Buddies! If you aren't too busy with your telepathic conversations would you mind filling us out? We need vocals and a bass guitarist."

He then added as a personal taunt to Clint, "Unless you can't play the guitar as well as you can the bow?"

Clint snorted, "Please, I'm a vocals man. It'll be Nat kicking your ass at bass."

"Bring it," Tony said with a playful sense of competition.

Natasha gave the boys a smooth 'challenge accepted' face and strode confidently into the entertainment area of the large living space.

Clint smirked appreciatively while Bruce bore an expression that said 'what have we unleashed?'.

Clint thought they should have known better than to try to go up against two highly trained assassins who pride themselves at being the best in everything but all in all they had a good time even if they couldn't always agree on song choices. Before too long though, Pepper was calling from the kitchen that dinner was ready. Tony grumbled about being interrupted again but came without too much of a fuss.

Of course once they were all seated and dishing up the spaghetti and meatballs Steve and Pepper had prepared, that didn't stop him from stuffing his face.

"Bruce mentioned today was your first day with your new handler. How did that work out?" Pepper asked like a concerned mother would her kids after their first day back to school whilst simultaneously whacking Tony's hand with a serving spoon when he tried to take more than one piece of garlic bread.

Clint, Natasha and Steve all groaned.

Bruce looked up from his spaghetti, with a sympathetic grin, "That bad?"

"Understatement of the year, " Clint muttered darkly into his water.

"What happened?" Pepper asked.

"From what I gathered from the mid-mission consult, they wanted you to risk your lives for useless intel even though the smart decision would have been to blow that hunk of junk the moment you could," Stark surmised brilliantly as usual.

"She's basically a bureaucratic robot," Steve commented grimly.

"What were her orders?" Bruce asked, looping the long noodles on his fork.

"She wanted us to give away our element of surprise and have a nice chat with the lunatics who were looting Boston," Natasha informed the group.

"One of those hippie make-peace-not-war types?" Dr. Banner inquired sympathetically.

"I wish," Clint answered. "More like one of those, doesn't have a second of real field experience under her belt types but who had dinner with a congressman and thinks they are God's gift to tactical planning."

Pepper shook her head, having dealt with the type many times in her running of Stark industries.

"So what is Miss Brainless Bureaucrat's name?" Tony was asking in an attempt to be nonchalant while typing on the touch screen on the table's surface next to his now abandoned plate.

"Agent Joan Bridges," Natasha informed him, a theory forming in her head the second he put down his fork. "Why?

"No reason," he responded with a wave of his hand while continuing to click away.

"I would remind you about how I feel about hacking at the dinner table," Pepper started as she took a sip of her wine. She looked over at the three agents who'd dealt with the unpleasant woman and adding conspiratorially, "but I think I'll let it slide this time."

A big smile spread across Clint's face. He and Tony may not always get along but, in his eyes, that made the billionaire Clint's first choice to sic on Bridges.

["Well whatever she is," Steve said, bypassing the little exchange and brooded cynically over his dinner. "She has no business leading a field team like ours."]

They all sat in silence, absorbing the disaster of putting a pacifist in charge of a global threat response team. Tony suddenly clapped and then closed out the windows on the touch screen table.

"Alright, that's taken care of," he announced in a pleased-with-himself manner. "Now, there are no idiots here so let's not focus on them."

"So says you," Clint chuckled under his breath, looking out of the corner of his eye to Tasha, as was his custom. She responded with an amused twitch of her lips anyone else would have overlooked. She remained silent, however, as Tony had, no doubt, just caused the person who'd put their lives in danger a little portion of hell, no doubt, and she was grateful.

"You're one to talk, " Tony said quickly, intently meeting Clint's gaze, but he had a large and easy grin so Natasha knew there hadn't actually been any harm done, just the usual banter.

Stark cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, I think in honor of the great Capsicle's initiation into the Tower, I propose we start educating him in modern technology."

Steve furrowed his brow as he put his used napkin on his now empty plate. "SHIELD already gave me a basic briefing my first 2 weeks out."

"I'm sure they did," Tony said in a condescending manner that was the norm for him. "But did they show you any movies?"

"They showed some tutorial videos and documentaries on what I've missed," Steve said, still feeling awkward about the experience of catching up and being so far behind.

Tony just kind of blinked at him for a moment, before saying, "Yeah, sorry Cap, doesn't count."

Then he stood and turned to the group who, for the most part, were finished eating, period "Okay, who has any suggestions?"

"You could try Heart and Souls," Pepper suggested as they rose and headed for the entertainment center.

Tony smiled in an indulgent manner. "Pepper dear, I already watch that with you twice a year. It may be your favorite but I think maybe we should show Cap here something with a bit more pizzazz."

"Avatar," Bruce offered immediately.

"Maybe too much pizzazz," Tony commented. "We don't want to overload the boy."

"Maybe Bourne Identity," Natasha threw out as she sat down and earned an approving grin from Clint.

"Not all of us enjoy spy games as much as you two do," Tony said as delicately as he could so as not to offend the formerly Russian spy and end up tazed in the middle of the night for his trouble.

"Prestige," Clint recommended, settling in next to Nat.

"Um… how bout not? We don't want to mess with poor delicate Apple Pie American Boy's mind too much with the first movie," Tony shot down as he went to review his extensive movie collection where Steve was already standing.

Steve, fortunately, was too distracted by the overwhelmingly large collection of discs to fully listen to what Tony was saying. Just then he pulled one out with a confused look on his face and said, "What's this one about?"

Tony took it from him and put it back. "No Scott Pilgrim tonight. That requires an entire lesson series of gaming before you are ready for that, Cap."

"If you're going to shoot down everyone else's ideas, why are you even bothering to ask?" Clint questioned critically as he put his feet up on the coffee table.

"Listening to your bad ideas helps me think of better ones," Tony told him matter-of-factly.

Pepper let out a tired sigh but a look from Tasha made Clint drop the disparagement. There was no point in arguing with Tony when he was being petulant like this.

"I've got it," he then said unexpectedly going to grab a movie before revealing it, "Titanic!"

There was a resounding shout of disapproval from the others while Steve just looked mildly confused.

"Party poopers," Tony muttered as he put it sadly back.

Bruce sat up straighter with an epiphany. "What about Star Wars?"

Tony suddenly looked at him wide-eyed and burst into a smile, "You, my friend, are a genius. I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

Bruce smiled at actually having the winning idea while Tony enthusiastically went to go get his special edition copy.

"I thought we were supposed to be showing Steve something contemporary," Natasha voiced with an arch of her delicate eyebrow. "Didn't Star Wars come out in the seventies?"

"Yeah, but it's a classic," Clint pointed out.

Natasha shrugged, causing Clint to narrow his eyes, "You have seen it, haven't you?"

"I saw the one with the moody teenager and the coliseum," she answered in a dead pan manner.

"You haven't seen the originals?" Clint asked, sitting straight up in great surprise at having learned something new about his good friend.

"Never much time," she informed him simply.

"Well, aren't you in for a treat?" he said with a big smile.

"Well, aren't you the little geek?" Tony countered as he came back in with the DVDs.

"So says the grown man with the entire Star Wars action figure collection," Clint muttered under his breath.

"Impulse buy at an auction," Tony defended.

"Liar," Pepper scoffed. "You cancelled a meeting so that you could reprogram JARVIS to help you outbid everyone at the last second on eBay."

This earned snickers from the others as Tony put the movie in.

"You're just jealous," he informed them primly.

Without further ado, they all settled in to watch, after Tony turned off the lights.

They had a good time. Tony narrated most of it with his color commentary while constantly looking to see Cap's reaction to the changes and twists in the plot. Clint, too, was curious about Natasha's reactions but he was far more subtle about it and she rewarded him occasionally with a smirk or a grin but more often than not, she kept her face impassive. Steve, however was far more animated. Pepper even thought that it was better to start off with special effects technology like this but considering he'd been around SHIELD tech since he came out it wasn't as big of a deal as it might have been to another newbie. They stopped once for Bruce to make popcorn and it was obvious by all of his questions that Steve was enjoying the plot.

When they were done, Steve proceeded to continue asking questions and asked to start the next one but as Pepper was falling asleep on Tony's shoulder, he said they better call it a night and escorted her to their bed.

Bruce and Steve stayed behind with Clint and Natasha to continue to discuss the movie. Natasha occasionally surprised them by offering her own opinion on the subject but for the most part kept quiet and let the boys geek out while Steve tried to absorb what he had just watched.

Before they knew it, it was midnight and Steve was struggling to keep his eyes open when Bruce stood up and said he better head to bed. Steve took this as his cue to leave too as his exertions from his on the ground combat that day had drained him.

Then it was just Clint and Tasha, sitting much as they had the entire evening in close proximity with their sides touching. While they were tired from the stress of dealing with the idiotic Bridges, they weren't quite as exhausted as Captain Rogers and as such, were content to sit in the dimly lit common room in each other's company.

"Interesting day," she remarked quietly to the silence that had engulfed them since the scientist and the soldier had left ten minutes before.

"If you mean you didn't expect to do battle with a ship in Boston's Commons and then watch a science fiction classic with an American hero when you woke up this morning, then yes, I agree," Clint quipped in his typical manner.

"Yes, there is that," she commented in the easy-going way that Clint normally only ever heard when she didn't have to keep her walls up.

Clint snickered to himself and leaned his head back against the cushions, "Well, it definitely didn't go as planned. But I suppose life would be boring then."

She turned her head and really looked at him for the first time since they'd been left alone and said with an obvious edge to her serious tone, "You were different today."

He let out a deep breath and tilted his head up to meet her gaze which clearly meant 'I am not going to drop this, so don't even think of switching subjects, we are going to get to the bottom of why that is' and he couldn't help but admire her ability to say so much with just her eyes

"I know," he admitted with chagrin. He knew Natasha well enough to know that as soon as he hesitated, she'd want to figure out why but he couldn't help it. He thought that Star Wars would distract him from it but there were some things you couldn't just bottle up or kick under the rug. "It was our first mission back."

"And you hesitated," she finished for him. "You don't hesitate. What happened?"

"Loki. What else could it be?" he asked in an exasperated fashion, turning his gaze back to the ceiling. The ceiling at least didn't look on him with x-ray vision that could read the secrets of his soul like the woman beside him did.

She didn't say anything but let him think as he tried to explain exactly why, for the first time since they had met all those years ago, he had doubted his abilities.

"I was worried about you," he said quietly though he was sure that was fairly obvious. He just couldn't think of another way to start. "It was a simple situation and it should have been no big deal but for, some reason, today, it was. I had feelings and I let it cloud what should have been straight forward. And some of that is because of Loki. He didn't brainwash me," he expanded carefully, "I've seen the reports and heard what people say and they're wrong. It wasn't about the mind. It was about the heart. He took my feelings and my loyalties and treated them like putty. He used my relationship with SHIELD, with Selvig and you, and forged them into whatever he wanted."

"'You have heart'," He whispered nearly inaudibly.

"What?" she spoke for the first time since he started.

"That's what he said, down in the basement, just before he took over," Clint answered. He sat up and leaned forward, still not ready to meet her gaze as his mind wandered down such a dark path. "That's why he chose me. Because I was a fighter. And today, when you told me to hold onto your rope, I couldn't help but think of how Loki would have used that against me. And I know I'm clean and I've been subjected to every test SHIELD could think of to make sure he's gone but I couldn't help but fear, in that moment, that whatever part of him that had replaced me wasn't gone and that he would come back and I wouldn't be able to help but watch as he killed you."

Natasha couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine as she thought of the threat which plagued her nightmares that Loki made and she had sworn she would never tell him. It wasn't that Clint couldn't handle it but that with his tendency to take the world on his shoulders he didn't need the ghost of an event that never happened to haunt him like it did her.

"He was right," she told him, looking at the back of his head, "you do have heart. But did you ever think that that is why I put my life in your hands? We've both been through enough in our lives to turn us to stone, and sometimes I feel like that's what's happened to me. But you never let it. You make your calls and execute orders based on your gut. That's what saved me."

He turned to look her in her eyes at the utter sincerity in her voice and was amazed, not for the first time, at the faith that he had somehow and miraculously won from what many considered to be the professionally stand-offish spy.

"He's gone and he isn't coming back," she insisted for not the first time, before adding with that steely determination of hers that he so admired, "I won't let him."

And she looked into his eyes, as he leaned back against the couch to be level with her, daring him to look away with her intensity, but he wouldn't fold this time. He wasn't the type of romantic idiot to say that he got lost in her beautiful blue eyes and that he found the answers to the universe within her shining orbs, because, well, for starters, that was cheesy but also just not true. But he could say that she said more with the unwavering way she held his gaze than her words ever could. She was able to communicate her fierce trust and determination to never have him put in a situation like Loki put him in again as well as letting him know that she would always be there for him.

And he knew it was true, if he ever wanted to talk, or not talk as more often the case turned out to be, then he could come to her. She wouldn't judge him or tell him he was stupid. She would never tell him to get over whatever was bothering him because she'd been there and she knew that there were some demons that could never be forgotten or gotten over. She would never betray him or belittle him for what he thought. She would be there and at the end of days like today and that is what got him through. He could never repay her for the number of times she had his back or saved his life, or helped him clear his mind.

While they might spend months or years apart, she was resolute in his mind as a safe harbor and the one who would help him through, and he could only hope that she thought the same of him. He would do whatever she needed and he just wanted her to know that. Wanted her to understand how grateful he was to her without all of the clumsy words that were inadequate in expressing his gratitude for their often wordless bond.

So it was a natural move for him to lean closer, as easy as breathing to close the distance between them without ever breaking eye contact before capturing her lips with his. There was no complaining in her camp whatsoever as she moved to reciprocate.

The kiss was lengthened from there as Clint tried to show her just how much she meant to him, tried to pour his need for her into that single embrace. Clint deepened the kiss as he turned to face her properly, positioning one hand on her waist and other on her neck, playing with her hair with the tips of his fingers.

She pulled him closer with her own personal need to express to Clint what he meant to her as she bit his lower lip.

Normal people would call what they had, their connection, their relationship, love. But she'd meant what she had said to Loki at the cell in the Helicarrier; love is for children. Love was sentiment that got you killed, they were simply two people who understood each other better than anyone else ever would. Two people who would be there when they felt low and isolated. Call it what you will, but more often than not, they were simply all they had when everything else was unclear.

They didn't get like this often; physically entangled that is, but in a relationship that didn't need words, sometimes action was all they had. As they stood, lips still connected and limbs tangled as they headed for whoever's room was closer, Clint knew that the talking portion of the evening was over but it had done its job. The weight that had been crushing his chest the entire day had slipped away quietly and unnoticed in her presence.

And while the next day might lead them into an even more dangerous encounter with the possibility of death, with Tasha in his arms he felt like it might not be so bad, like it might be like old times. Because he knows she'll have his back and he'll have hers and that's all he needs to know.

**Author's note: Awww, okay that was hard and maybe not what any of you were expecting or wanting but I think that it worked out the way I wrote it. Maybe a bit more tame but hey, this isn't a smut fic and that's not the point of this chapter. It did what I needed it to, I can only hope I managed to keep it in character.**

**I had so much fun with the beginning and writing all of them being buddy-buddy and having fun. Tony is a hoot. And I spent several hours trying to figure out what they would watch and suggest, even going to far to having an intense discussion with my family about it.**

**Also, I feel like I should let you guys know, that this story is kind of wrapping up. Like I only have the epilogue left. As much as I love this story and all of you guys, this is the story I set out to tell. I only intended this to be a four or five chapter relationship study of Clint and Natasha's relationship after the events of the movie. And I've done that and I am incredibly proud.**

**While I do have other little ideas for you know general team bonding activities, I feel like if I were to do a sequel, I would not only not have the stamina to finish it but also that it's quality would deteriorate which I really don't want and would ruin what I did with this one.**

**So this is it. There is still an epilogue for my loose ends but then that's it.**

**I'll save my proper good byes for then but just know that you guys are so amazing and I am so proud of what I've managed to accomplish with your help.**

**Now, indulge an ill girl who's worked her butt off on trying to make a fun team fun chapter meld with an angsty heart-to-heart and let me know what you think.**

**Review!**

**Love, Fin (that is my name not my closing comment).**


	5. Mind

**Disclaimer: I only own Bitchface Bridges, and you guys are more than welcome to borrow her for your own fics. Just let me know. Won't be offended. But no one else is mine.**

**Author's Note: So this is it, we have come to the end. It has been an amazing couple of months writing this for you wonderful people. To thank everyone would extend this chapter by several pages but please no that I love and am grateful for each and every one of you who have taken the time to read this story and give me feedback.**

**This chapter, like those before it, is me trying out a different idea and I can only hope that you like it.**

**I'll save my ramble for the bottom.**

**But please enjoy.**

Epilogue:

When Clint awoke the next morning, his mind felt clearer. The demons that plagued him the day before weren't gone, not by a long shot and they would likely join the extensive line of tormentors his lifestyle had induced, but they were quieted, for now. If just for a day or an hour, but that was enough. It was more than he could ever get on his own. And he owed that to Natasha, through her words, her determination and even just her presence.

He turned his head at that thought and was greeted with the sight of the stunning redhead assassin lying beside him, her large, clear blue eyes fixed on him.

"Feeling better?" she inquired with her traditional half-smirk.

"Loads," he replied with a grin she knew was just for her.

"Good," she replied and flipped to her other side but scooted closer with her back to let him know that she wasn't abandoning him or shutting him out.

He stroked the length of her back once; causing her to shiver involuntarily before her finally rested his arm on her waist as he closed his eyes to snooze until JARVIS officially woke them.

He was at peace in that moment, with Natasha being so close serving as a reassurance every second. They didn't really need words, they never really had. Ever since he'd brought her into SHIELD they'd just understood. Speaking was superfluous more often than not. But this, the physical side, had always felt right, always felt more like home. There was so much more they could say with a single touch or a glance than most people could with the most passionate speeches in the world.

That's not to say that they never talked things out, because there were very rare occasions when one knew the other needed to let something out because it was suffocating them from the inside. They were there for each other then too.

They'd never admit out loud how much they needed each other; that was reserved for love struck morons who thought that was necessary. Clint and Natasha just knew, as they always had, where they stood with each other.

And when the British AI pleasantly gave them their wake up call, they fell into their rhythm. Slipping out of her bed, Clint returned to his own room dressed only in his boxers to prepare for the day with a parting grin for the Black Widow.

They met in the kitchen for breakfast with the others though getting up at that time was clearly not Tony's idea. He basically ate his French toast in a daze but perked up at Bruce's suggestion of a new project for the day (something about laser output and technical blah blah that Clint didn't understand) and by the time Natasha, Clint and Steve were preparing to leave he was chattering along like his normal self. Though to be fair, it could have been his coffee kicking in and not the thought of a new toy.

Pepper walked them out, having business at Stark Industries and wished them a good day, just like a concerned mother.

Steve sat in the back (of what)again and Natasha just figured that all of the modern pop culture education in the world couldn't shake his chivalry and decided not to argue it anymore. Besides, she thought it was endearing somehow.

Once at the temporary SHIELD HQ while the Helicarrier was still undergoing serious repairs, they awaited debriefing with Fury in their customary conference room. One awful cup of coffee for each of them later and they were relieved that the unpleasant handler had yet to make an appearance. Before too long, however, the Director himself entered, flanked by Maria Hill who gave them all a welcoming nod before sitting by Steve. Natasha and Clint shared their quiet amusement but focused on Fury who sat himself at the head of the table.

"Now, before any of you ask…," Fury began almost immediately with a slight, smug grin, "No, Agent Bridges will not be joining us. Due to certain poor decision making as well as persistent rule flouting and unapproved use of SHIELD resources, the Council agreed to transfer her somewhere where she'll feel less important. And due to the success of the mission yesterday, Agent Hill has been promoted to your official handler."

Maria shifted uncomfortably but didn't say anything, nodding in response to Steve's quiet congratulations.

"Luckily, the Council has agreed with this decision because of her performance yesterday in the field with you. It seems as though they have somehow come to conclusion that Agent Bridges lacked the tactical experience necessary for such a position."

The sarcasm and derision dripping from Fury's announcement could have flooded the whole of the eastern seaboard but that was beside the point. He clearly thought the Council were bureaucratic morons who couldn't tie their own shoe laces, but he toed the line and played along as best he could.

Clint couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face, as he addressed the tough Agent, "Well, we are glad to have you onboard."

"Thanks," lower case she muttered if not a little bit stiff but she clearly appreciated their welcome.

Natasha noticed the distance in Maria's actions and words but decided that they were simply nerves at being handed such a prestigious post and not under the best circumstances necessarily.

"Now that we've covered that we can start the debriefing on yesterday's…" he paused looking for the right word before settling on "excursion."

They nodded and settled into business mode as they started going over the mission from the day before. It was routine as they each went over what happened and Fury made minor observations on how it could have gone better. Clint noticed that both Natasha and Maria had skipped over his hesitation in executing the plan and he felt a rush of gratitude for the two women.

Less than an hour later they were dismissed with Fury urging them to train to get acclimated to fighting as a team again. Maria made plans to meet them at lunch and then the three SHIELD affiliated Avengers were off.

Clicking her heels down a hallway 30 minutes later, Maria thought on her new position in relation to the Avengers. And while she felt no small amount of pride at being given for this coveted occupation, she couldn't but feel that it was tainted by guilt. She wasn't the best person for the job. She may get on well enough with the team members and actually know what she is doing but Coulson was better for it and she knew it.

It was with that thought in mind that she went down to the basement of the SHIELD building that Fury had taken her once after the mess of the Helicarrier and they'd been transferred to this location in New York.

Agent Hill had been given the understanding that she wasn't supposed to frequent the basements but her ID card still got her through the lift and the 3 subsequent checkpoints.

After her handprint just cleared her through the last, Maria paused as she looked through the clear glass. The air conditioning was on full blast and Maria found herself grateful for her long sleeve standard issue SHIELD uniform. She still crossed her arms in attempt to fight the chill as she looked on, deep in thought.

"I don't suppose I should be surprised you came down here as your first act of being the Avengers' new liaison." Fury spoke from the corner of the small room, breaking through her reverie.

"No, you shouldn't," Maria said but didn't turn as she continued to stare in front of her.

She had grown used to the Director's spy-like tendencies in sneaking up on people. She had managed to not be surprised after her first two weeks of jumping every time he entered the room. Clint and Natasha had helped with that.

"You still haven't changed your mind," he remarked. It wasn't a question.

"Not in my nature, sir," she responded curtly.

"I know that you think I was wrong. That I made the wrong call," he continued to say as he came to stand beside the agent.

"Yes I do," she told him point blank, "Considering the consequences we're facing. I'm not sure that your plan has merit in the long run."

"That's why I'm the Director; because I can make the decisions most people can't," He said in an intimidating fashion as he stared her down with his one good eye.

"I'm not sure that this is a decision that you alone should be allowed to make,." She informed him as she finally turned and met his gaze.

"It isn't your job to question my judgment, Agent Hill. I thought I made that clear at the Helicarrier. My word is final," He told her under no uncertain circumstances.

Most agents would have cowed before Fury's imposing insistence but Maria Hill knew this wasn't something she could let go, not this time.

"Things have changed, sir," she maintained as she mustered all the courage she had to defy her superior officer whom she knew good and well could have her fired and dumped in some desert where no one knew her name.

Seeking strength she turned and looked through the windows in front of her to the infirmary ward. There, lying on the bed off to the right was the subject of their argument: Agent Phil Coulson.

"He's awake now, sir, and think it should be up to him whether or not the team remains in the dark," She insisted, not looking at her boss for fear this courage could fail her.

"Not from where I'm standing," Fury insisted. "You have your orders Agent. We are not going to discuss this again."

He glared at her to intimate his clear dismissal, leaving her no choice but to turn around and walk away.

The subject was closed for now but Maria knew she couldn't let this drop. She'd temporarily agreed to let it go when he was still in his medically induced coma and the doctor's weren't sure he was going to make it. But now that he was on his way to a solid recovery, the Avengers had a right to know that their handler and in some cases, friend, was alive.

The truth would come out eventually and it'd be better for everyone if they came clean. She knew that without a doubt and she couldn't rest until it was brought to light.

**Author's Note: Now that's a wrap. **

**I know that this took a bit of an unexpected turn, but this was honestly something I've been wanting to do all fic and felt it a good place to leave off. Because Coulson is not dead. I refuse to believe it.**

**And that is the end of You Have Heart. I can't believe I made it.**

**I do have a bit of an Easter Egg of the scene of Agent Bridges getting her comeuppance that I thought would be a good thing to see after her being such a bitch all story and I hope to post that before I go on my 10 day road trip.**

**Now, I find it necessary to say that I do have several ideas for a sequel floating around my head that would pick up where this one left off but it may or may not happen, do not hold your breath. we will have to see what sort of time I have this summer as I prepare for my big move in the fall.**

**But this was where I wanted this fic to go, as a short relationship study of Clint and Natasha explicitly after the events of the movie. If I did a sequel, and please bear in mind that that is not guaranteed at this moment, it would be a longer and more team oriented fic with Clintasha moments but it would also give the other avengers a chance in the spotlight too.**

**That being said, I have had such a good time writing this story. You all are some of the best readers a writer could ask for. Thank you so much for your kind words, concrit, enthusiasm and for hanging in there on this journey with me.**

**And please let me know what you thought of this ending and this humble contribution to the wonderful and extensive collection of Clintasha fics that I feel very proud to be a part of with this small little story of the wonderful bond of Clint and Natasha.**

**Look out for the little extra scene I will be posting here if I get enough interest for it.**

**Much Love and Thanks,**

**Fin**


	6. Hack

**Disclaimer: I don't own the awesome people, only the bitch.**

**Author's Note: Finally and at last we have the little bonus scene where Bridges gets what's coming to her. Sorry it took me forever and a half but I am happy to at least get this up before I move in little over a week.**

**And with no further ado I give you the last installment of this little fic of mine.**

**Mind you I am unbeta'd so please forgive any errors.**

_The Evening Before_

"Not again." Agent Joan Bridges muttered angrily to her computer.

As a woman who demanded order in every aspect of her life, this war with her computer after her frustration with the SHIELD operatives of the Avengers was wearing the last of her nerves.

The bureaucrat tried for what felt like the millionth time to close out the pesky solitaire application open on the screen display of her desk. Rather than refuse to close as it had been for the last hour an a half, instead a fresh new level of hell was unleashed. A grand total of ten internet windows opened up to spam, a Teletubbies fan site, 5 eBay lots of crazy crap and a webpage that only showed a gif of Spiderman dancing.

"Agent Bridges?" Maria asked from door with a concerned expression just as Bridges was about to curse under her breath.

Bridges looked up, frustrated. Fury's little pet was about the last person she wanted to see just then, but she forced herself to remain professional. "Yes, what is it?"

"Director Fury sent me to collect the report for today." The slim brunette informed the representative of the World Security Council as she stepped closer to the desk.

"Right. One moment." Bridges said in a sickly sweet tone though she wanted to grind her teeth. Thanks to this virus of sorts, she hadn't been able to finish but she wasn't about to tell Fury's lackey that. The man already had enough hate for her; she didn't want to give him any more ammunition to try to get her fired.

It was then that Maria's eyes saw the screen and the dancing videos of Tinky Winky and Po.

"Um, Agent Bridges," she started with an alarmed expression, "Is that the Teletubbies?"

Bridges looked up in a flustered manner that was unusual for her.

She made to quickly close it out, insisting as she did so, "No no no. That is just spam."

But while she successfully managed to cancel out the window, the action reopened the running solitaire match.

Hill looked both confused and disapproving, "You're playing cards now after what happened this afternoon?"

Agent Bridges looked up in horror at the accusation, "Of course not. I would never!"

"Well that's not where it looks from here, I'm afraid I am going to have to cite you." Bridges let out an annoyed huff as Maria looked down at the tablet-sized screen in her hand, and noted, "It says here this is your third infraction today."

The look on the uptight agent's face quickly changed to indignation, "No it is not! I am not playing solitaire during work hours!"

Agent Hill tried to be sympathetic while remaining insistent on the rules, "I understand that it can be very challenging adjusting to the responsibility of being the Avengers handler but-"

Here Bridges cut her off, "I am not having issues assuming my responsibility! Someone has clearly hacked into my system!"

At this Maria looked dubious, "Ma'am, the firewalls at SHIELD are state of the art. There is a constantly changing encryption code protecting it and we have technicians in the sever room monitoring all systems for any leaks every 15 minutes. It's not possible."

"I don't care if we do have the best computer security system in the galaxy! It is obviously not good enough!" the normally collected superior fumed as she stood.

Maria narrowed her eyes and gave up trying to be nice, "I'm sorry, Agent, but these are the rules and I for one am going to be following them."

With that, Maria Hill turned on her heel and left the unpleasant woman's office. Agent Joan Bridges let out an exasperated breath as she sat back down, unable to believe she had just lost her cool in front of Nick Fury's number one assistant. She just knew that was going to come back to bite her.

Sure enough, three minutes later, before she could truly absorb the fool she had just made out of herself, she heard a little bleep as a message appeared on top of the solitaire and eBay pages.

From: Director Nick Fury

To: Agent Joan Bridges

Message: My office. Come see me now.

Joan barely suppressed a groan as she rubbed the bridge of her nose and tried to prepare herself for the coming meeting. She stood and straightened her shoulders. She was in the right after all, just as she had been with the mission. It wasn't her fault she was surrounded by incompetents. They were lucky to have her on the team. There was no way they could just fire her. She was too valuable and she knew it.

So, with her head held high and her ego thus swollen, she strode into Fury's office with the confidence of the misguided.

Forgetting that it was not she that called this meeting, she began speaking immediately upon entering, "Director, if I may, there are a few changes I would like to discuss with you about our current operational procedures."

"You may not." Fury responded straight away with his famous steel-like demeanor.

"And why is that, sir?" She questioned resentfully.

"Because you have been reassigned and as such have no authority in this particular division," Nick Fury informed her, barely containing a satisfied grin.

She let out a small sound of indignant disbelief. "This is outrageous. You don't have the authority to remove me."

"You're right," he agreed. "That's why this order comes from the World Security Council itself."

"On what grounds am I being replaced?" she continued on as if enough official jargon would help her retain her post.

"The Council has decided that you don't possess the proper field experience to cope with the pressure," he said with perhaps more than a bit of smugness about him.

"I assure you, I am completely qualified to handle any and all stressors this post has to offer," She argued.

"The Council obviously doesn't share that belief." He reminded her as he looked over the official file before slipping in, "There is also the matter of your improper conduct and misuse of SHIELD resources."

That was the moment she turned beat red. "My computer was hacked and you know it."

"Agent Bridges you are grasping at straws. I doubt I need to remind you of the security precautions that are currently in effect," He said plainly.

"This is not over." She informed him, determined.

"On the contrary, you no longer work here. Please collect your personal items and leave or I will have to have you escorted from the building."

"Fine." She huffed angrily, passing Agent Hill on her way out of the office.

"Well that was nicely handled," Maria commented lightly.

"Nowhere in my job description does it say I have to coddle liabilities to the safety of my team," He said matter-of-factly.

Maria let it pass. It wasn't her place to criticize her boss; besides, she was glad Bridges was gone.

Fury, meanwhile, returned to his paperwork before realizing Hill was still standing there. "I assume you came to do more than comment on my firing policies. What brings you here?"

"Curiosity sir," She answered hesitantly.

She didn't know where all of this courage was coming from. She'd been trained since childhood to respect her superiors and never question orders. But something about being around the Avengers had made it easier for her to straddle the line between obedience and insubordinance. One year ago she might have kept her questions to herself but now here she was: speaking up.

"Oh really?" the Director asked with a raised eyebrow at the change in the woman he had come to think of as his second-in-command. "What about?"

"You and I both know that Bridges would never shirk her duties on SHIELD time," She stated.

"Certain parties could see that as unlikely, yes." Fury answered diplomatically with a smirk as he waited to see where she was going with this line of questioning.

"And we do have some of the most advanced protection grids outside of a few select government facilities. But even then select motivated individuals with a foot into our organization could still manage it with the help of an advanced AI they designed." She pointed out cryptically.

"Well how about that?" Fury said, calm as anything.

"And I don't suppose it's anything more than a coincidence that the technicians monitoring her computer system all took a late lunch at the same time." She said smoothly.

"Of course not," he responded fluidly and unphased, "That might be viewed as malicious or threatening if it had been planned."

"Naturally," Agent Hill replied having gotten her answer.

There was a pause between the two agents.

"What did Stark put on her computer in the end?" Fury asked conspiratorially, leaning forward.

She knew he had 500 other ways of finding out but indulged, "Teletubbies sir, as well as a solitaire tournament and eBay lot for a booger that resembled Hello Kitty that I saw."

Nick Fury chuckled appreciatively, "He may be a pain in the ass but it was good of Tony to use his powers of annoyance for good for once."

"Absolutely," She said wryly before turning to leave. "Good night sir."

"One more thing, Hill," he added as an afterthought, calling her back.

"Sir?" She inquired, standing at the ready once more.

"I was going to send a message but while I have you here I thought you should know that the Council has approved my recommendation. Effective tomorrow morning, you will be replacing Bridges as the team's new handler."

She stood in shock, barely remembering to stutter out, "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much."

"I'll be making the official announcement at the debriefing tomorrow, so you don't have to mess with any paperwork tonight. But for now, you can go on home, I understand it's been a very long day." He told her, actually managing to sound like a concerned human being.

"Thank you sir." She repeated, stumbling for words at the complete surprise of the announcement.

Sure, she worked very well with what Avengers they currently had on staff but she had no idea that Fury, or the Council for that matter, esteemed her skills that much. She would have to think on that later, but for now, she just barely managed to contain her internal insecurities to remain professional.

"Get some sleep," Fury suggested with a grin as he watched her try to gather her thoughts and leave.

She nodded her head and left, leaving Fury very satisfied at what he'd accomplished. Very satisfied indeed.

**Author's Note: and that is it, that is all for this installment.**

**This has been an amazing ride with all of you absolutely wonderful people. You have made me so happy with your kind words and encouragements I wish I could hug all of you.**

**Hope you liked this. And if I can kick my muse into gear and find time I might be able to work on that sequel. Wish me luck you awesome people.**

**And please, for me, let me know what you thought of this chapter/story. It would mean so much to me.**

**Much love and well wishes,**

**Fin.**


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